F8 rewarded

It's been a long day...
(Photo credit: inq.net)

It took eight years and what now seems like a platoon of coaches before Barangay Ginebra San Miguel won another PBA championship, but last night everything just fell into place.

Coach Tim Cone was outsmarting his counterpart on every turn; the team held a 3-2 series lead; the other team’s (Meralco) most defiant soldier—Jimmy Alapag, was hurting; Ginebra’s aging duo of Mark Caguioa and Jayjay Helterbrand were rallying the "kids";  and no less than the Ginebra beloved Robert Jaworski, Sr. was in attendance. 

The near buzzer-beating triple by import Justin Brownlee, to break an 88-all lock, was icing on the cake.

Tim Cone to Ginebra

Sorry Johnny, Coach Tim and RdR
will be taking their talents to Ginebra
(Photo credit: Sports5.ph)

When we were first indoctrinated into the world of the Philippine Basketball Association in 1996, it was during the PBA Governor's Cup Finals-- a best-of-seven affair between the grandslam seeking Alaska Milkmen and the crowd darlings, Barangay Ginebra San Miguel.

On one side was the most charismatic head coach/ player in the history of the game, Robert Jaworski, Sr., commanding the likes of Noli Locsin, Bal David, Marlou Aquino and Vince Hizon. Now while we weren't familiar with the PBA brand of play, we already had a working idea of how basketball players should look and talk like thanks to the NBA. Let's just say that based on body fat percentage and muscle tone alone, none of the Ginebra players fit the mold save for maybe Vince Hizon. Yet they were the crowd darlings, they were fighting tooth and nail with a team that looked so fluid, so sexy, that it was hard NOT to root for the obvious underdogs.

Who exposed us to this title bout? Our mom. Who was an Alaska fan at the time, thanks to Jojo Lastimosa's looks and game. She was probably trying to turn us into Alaska fans too, but we ended up liking the other team. Anyway, Alaska was being coached by a dirty blonde who almost always finished every play drawn in the huddle with an "aight" or "all right?"

His name is Tim Cone.

Team #NSD

(Photo credits to the owner)

So it's a Friday weekend (here in the Middle East anyway) and we are catching up on our steady dose of Upper B basketball talk (if you haven't already, please checkout buhaybasket.com which is basically the new/ another version of FTS or Bro Show or Goat or whatever only a lot more entertaining whenever Jai Reyes is given air time). On this episode, they were asked by one of their many followers about naming a Team Never-Say-Die first five (minus Ginebra players, of course).

Basically, the names that were mentioned are: Marc Pingris, Paul Lee, Dondon Hontiveros, Cliff Hodge and whichever among Yousef Taha, Jerwin Gaco, Alex Nuyles, etc.

We are not going to say that they were wrong, just that we would probably go another way.

Trust the system

Ang bagong tanod
(Photo courtesy of Sports5)

This is no longer your father's Barangay Ginebra San Miguel.

The plays are not as simple as dumping it into the post, having one guy dribble the air out of the basketball for the Michael Jordan play or just relying on pure, helter-skelter, hit or miss we'll take it offensive "sets" of the storied Robert Jaworski, Sr. era that won more on heart and passion for the game rather than deploying an educated enough strategy to neutralize the opponent.

This is Jeffrey Cariaso's Barangay Ginebra San Miguel. They are in the process of running the complex triple post offense commonly known as the Triangle Offense. And for once, they don't look like an undisciplined lot waiting for a savior.

Ginebra: flawed, but good

Iba na ang matangkad. At MAGALING.
(Photo courtesy of Sports5)

Barangay Ginebra San Miguel has taken the Philippine Basketball Association by storm, now up the Philippine Cup standings with an impressive 9-1 slate.

At the forefront of the attack is floor general L.A. Tenorio whose veteran smarts and point guard savvy remains unmatched. His teammates trust him, rumored, former headcases and divas follow his every marching order without question and there is arguably no other Filipino basketball player today that is universally loved and respected regardless of affiliation.

While the Ginebra faithful continue to wait for their former PBA MVPs Mark Caguioa and Jayjay Helterbrand to play their way back to form, another player has emerged to make a case for the league's ultimate individual accolade.